Setting the rules in disputes over apps
1 year ago

Setting the rules in disputes over apps

Hindustan Times  

Last week, Google delisted the apps of 10 Indian businesses from its proprietary app store. This incident, which saw some apps relisted after mediated discussions, highlights the need for a thoughtful resolution of business disputes in the digital economy, increasingly contested on the notion of “fairness”. The margins-led fight between apps and their distributors has many analogues, such as telecom companies demanding a “fair share” of app market revenues. Indian telcos operate internet networks and are demanding that large digital businesses that attract more traffic, such as video-on-demand apps, compensate them for their role in last-mile distribution. Policies linked to “trusted supply chains” assume salience here — via which partner jurisdictions protect and promote trade and commerce across their borders.

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History of this topic

Phone addicts? Indians love videos, gaming and social media as they spend average 5 hours on phone daily
5 days, 21 hours ago

Phone addicts? Indians love videos, gaming and social media as they spend average 5 hours on phone daily

India Today  

India reportedly has over 1.2 billion smartphone users and 950 million internet users. Indian users are reportedly spending an average of five hours per day on social media, gaming, and video streaming. Meanwhile, social media, video streaming, and gaming have dominated the screen time of Indians, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the five hours they spend daily on …

Digital competition law needed but discussion are necessary on best practices, says minister Malhotra
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Digital competition law needed but discussion are necessary on best practices, says minister Malhotra

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The government is keen to bring in a new law to ensure fair competition in digital markets but further discussions are needed to ensure that global best practices are adapted to Indian market requirements, minister of state for corporate affairs Harsh Malhotra said on Sunday. Speaking at the national conference on economics and competition law organised by the …

Centre In No Hurry To Introduce Digital Competition Bill, Says Harsh Malhotra
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Centre In No Hurry To Introduce Digital Competition Bill, Says Harsh Malhotra

ABP News  

Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Harsh Malhotra, said that the Indian government is not in a rush to bring the Digital Competition Bill as the authorities want to follow due process and conduct elaborate discussions on the proposed legislation before taking it forward. Looking Into Global Practices Malhotra further stressed the importance of analysing digital competition laws in other …

Laying the digital path to a developed India
4 weeks ago

Laying the digital path to a developed India

Hindustan Times  

In Baramati, Maharashtra, a small farmer is rewriting the rules of agriculture with Artificial Intelligence. Building AI — compute, data, and innovation: Semiconductors and electronics form the backbone, while DPI serves as the driving force propelling India’s tech revolution. The government is facilitating the development of India’s own foundational models, including Large Language Models and problem-specific AI solutions tailored to …

Indian digital economy ranked 28th on user spending: report
1 month ago

Indian digital economy ranked 28th on user spending: report

The Hindu  

While India is the 3rd largest economy in the world, its “user” economy ranks 28th in the world, a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations ’s Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy found. “This means while India as a country has achieved high level digitalisation at the aggregate level, the level of digitalisation for …

Why India’s smaller OTT platforms are losing ground
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Why India’s smaller OTT platforms are losing ground

Live Mint  

With rising production costs, shrinking marketing budgets, and the dominance of Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar, fringe players like ALTT and Eros Now are fading from the spotlight. For example, while platforms like Lionsgate Play are doubling down on international content, others such as Eros Now and Ekta Kapoor’s ALTT are seeing a sharp decline in new programming. Entertainment industry …

Digital ad spends to soar on the back of OTT, e-retail
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Digital ad spends to soar on the back of OTT, e-retail

Hindustan Times  

When Ambika Sharma launched her digital agency Pulp Strategy 15 years ago India’s total digital advertising market was barely ₹3,000 crore. Russhabh Thakkar’s Frodoh World was launched much later in 2019 but like many smaller independent agencies, it, too, has benefited from the exponential rise in digital advertising expenditure, expanding its client list and dabbling in retail media and connected …

India’s advanced digital public infrastructure in focus at Panjab University lecture
2 months ago

India’s advanced digital public infrastructure in focus at Panjab University lecture

Hindustan Times  

Management consultant and chairperson of the central capacity building commission, Adil Zainulbhai, said India has the best digital infrastructure in the world in many areas, designed by young Indians, many of whom were students. He was delivering a colloquium lecture in Panjab University on Thursday on n the topic “Digital Public Infrastructure and How It Changes India.” Adil Zainulbhai, chairperson …

Digital economy to constitute fifth of Indian GDP by 2030: ICRIER report
2 months, 1 week ago

Digital economy to constitute fifth of Indian GDP by 2030: ICRIER report

The Hindu  

India’s digital economy will grow twice as fast as the rest of the economy, and constitute 13.42% of national income by the end of 2024–25, as against 11.74% in 2022–23, according to a report prepared by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations based on a study by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. To quantify the …

Govt’s ’Open Network for Digital Commerce’ to drive India’s next wave of entrepreneurial innovation: Report
2 months, 1 week ago

Govt’s ’Open Network for Digital Commerce’ to drive India’s next wave of entrepreneurial innovation: Report

Live Mint  

New Delhi, January 23 : The Open Network for Digital Commerce has been hailed as a transformative initiative with the potential to drive India's next wave of entrepreneurial innovation. According to a report by Kalaari Capital, ONDC is poised to revolutionize the digital commerce landscape by fostering an inclusive and decentralized ecosystem that benefits businesses of all sizes. It said …

Budget blueprint: Making MSMEs a growth engine
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Budget blueprint: Making MSMEs a growth engine

New Indian Express  

The transformation of India’s micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs represents perhaps the most significant opportunity for achieving inclusive growth in this decade. With 63.4 million enterprises contributing 30 percent to the national GDP and employing over 100 million people, this Indian sector’s economic footprint is larger than the entire economies of, say, Thailand or Sweden. Germany’s KfW model …

Building consumer trust in the digital ecosystem through whitelisting
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Building consumer trust in the digital ecosystem through whitelisting

Hindustan Times  

In the last decade, India’s internet economy has exploded on the shoulders of the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile trinity. With over 900 million smartphone internet connections, the Indian digital ecosystem has shifted drastically from being an exporter of software and skilled labour to becoming the world’s largest real-time payment market. Businesses that tick the above boxes may be presumed …

Suggestions from over 100 entities on Digital Competition Bill under consideration: FM
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Suggestions from over 100 entities on Digital Competition Bill under consideration: FM

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The government consulted over 100 entities including some of the businesses likely to be impacted by the proposed digital competition law, such as Amazon, Apple India Pvt. The minister told the House in a written reply that pre-legislative consultations on the Draft Digital Competition Bill were held as per the ministry of corporate affairs’ policy. Closed-door consultations were …

Tricky realms of fair market in tech space
4 months, 1 week ago

Tricky realms of fair market in tech space

New Indian Express  

India’s anti-trust regulator has once again cracked the whip on another big tech player this time Meta, the owner of Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. The action comes at a time when the US and European regulators are also tightening screws on these companies, which the authorities feel are a threat to data privacy, competition, and fair play in business. Big …

India’s digital public infrastructure: A catalyst for innovation and competition
4 months, 1 week ago

India’s digital public infrastructure: A catalyst for innovation and competition

Live Mint  

Some scholars and practitioners have argued that digital public infrastructure could lead to monopolization and stifle private innovation by creating large government-controlled platforms that overshadow private players. In India, DPI initiatives like UPI and Aadhaar are examples of the state taking a lead in technological development, enabling private-sector growth and innovation. This is precisely what DPI is designed to do—broaden …

Big Tech Practices Threaten India's Digital News Landscape: I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Calls For Urgent Policy Reforms
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Big Tech Practices Threaten India's Digital News Landscape: I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Calls For Urgent Policy Reforms

ABP News  

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the growing challenges posed by Big Tech to credible journalism and digital media platforms. Celebrating the power of Press: upholding democracy and freedom 📍At the National Press Day event pic.twitter.com/ZSbsPDyzhP — Ashwini Vaishnaw November 16, 2024 “The rapid spread of fake news is a big threat not only to the media because it undermines trust …

India Eyes Satellite Networks for Connectivity Boost: Telecom Minister Scindia
4 months, 3 weeks ago

India Eyes Satellite Networks for Connectivity Boost: Telecom Minister Scindia

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday hinted that the government is looking at the evolution of satellite communication networks or non-terrestrial networks with great optimism and believes it will open up new frontiers in communication technologies besides connecting the unconnected. “The non-terrestrial networks will ignite the advent of new applications and advance the resolve of the government …

India's Role in Fair Share Levy on OTT Platforms: GSMA's Gorman
5 months, 1 week ago

India's Role in Fair Share Levy on OTT Platforms: GSMA's Gorman

Live Mint  

India's stance on fair share levy on OTT platforms is a significant topic of discussion. GSMA's Gorman highlights the need for a balanced approach that ensures both OTT players and telecom service providers contribute fairly to infrastructure investment. The debate has intensified globally, with examples set in South Korea and the US, where OTT players have argued against the need …

Transforming India's Economy: The Power of Digital Public Infrastructure
5 months, 1 week ago

Transforming India's Economy: The Power of Digital Public Infrastructure

Live Mint  

The article highlights the importance of digitalization in transforming India's economy. It emphasizes the role of open platforms and collaboration between the public and private sectors in building a robust digital infrastructure. The government's initiatives, such as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), demonstrate the government's commitment to fostering a digital economy.

Thank digital tools for small businesses going formal on their own
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thank digital tools for small businesses going formal on their own

Live Mint  

Despite all that has been said about the success of India’s digital transformation, questions are still being asked as to whether the digital public infrastructure we are so proud of actually reaches those who really need it. Doubts have still been expressed over whether these accounts are actually being used by those who need them or whether the exponential growth …

India's EU-like antitrust law worrying technology firms
9 months, 3 weeks ago

India's EU-like antitrust law worrying technology firms

Hindustan Times  

By Arpan Chaturvedi India's EU-like antitrust law worrying technology firms NEW DELHI, - India's proposed EU-like antitrust law will pose a fresh regulatory challenge for tech firms including Apple, Google and Meta, laying out strict compliance obligations that could affect their business models. The Indian government is currently examining a panel's February report that proposed a new "Digital Competition Bill" …

India plans to curb Google, PhonePe’s dominance in mobile payments: Report
11 months, 2 weeks ago

India plans to curb Google, PhonePe’s dominance in mobile payments: Report

The Hindu  

India’s governing body overseeing the country’s Unified Payments Interface mobile payments system is set to engage with fintech startups to develop a strategy to address the growing market dominance of companies including PhonePe and Google pay in the UPI ecosystem. The National Payments Corporation of India plans to meet executives from companies including CRED, Flipkart, Fampay, and Amazon to discuss …

MSMEs Want Govt to Relook Digital Competition Bill
11 months, 3 weeks ago

MSMEs Want Govt to Relook Digital Competition Bill

Deccan Chronicle  

The adverse effects of the proposed Digital Competition Bill on MSMEs' ability to access and compete in emerging markets, India SME Forum said in its letter to the government. As the provisions are focused on digital services, it limits the ability of SMEs to extract value from digital platforms and deter from adopting digital trade. This approach could hamper investments …

A needed reform for digital competition
1 year ago

A needed reform for digital competition

Hindustan Times  

With the rising digitalisation of markets, the proposed Digital Competition Act can provide a much-needed reform. PREMIUM The 2002 Competition Act’s ex-post approach—the regulator acts when abuse of dominance occurs—was adequate for the earlier, almost exclusively physical markets. The 2002 Competition Act’s ex-post approach—the regulator acts when abuse of dominance occurs—was adequate for the earlier, almost exclusively physical markets. Also, …

Info Edge founder bats for ’Indian app store’ after Google action on Indian apps
1 year, 1 month ago

Info Edge founder bats for ’Indian app store’ after Google action on Indian apps

Live Mint  

Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani on Friday called for the creation of India's mobile application store as a part of its ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’ following tech giant Google India's action against mobile applications of 10 Indian companies. The tech giant took down multiple Indian mobile applications like Bharat Matrimony from Play Store because of a dispute over service fee payments. …

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee
1 year, 1 month ago

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments. While Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman described the move as "dark day" for the Internet in India, Kuku FM co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena, in a statement, said that Google was behaving like a 'monopoly'. …

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store
1 year, 1 month ago

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store

Hindustan Times  

Walmart-backed Indian fintech PhonePe on Wednesday launched its app store for Android called Indus Appstore, becoming the first Indian rival to Google’s Play Store. The company is in conversation with multiple phone manufacturers so that the app store can come pre-loaded on different Android cellphones, founder and PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said at the launch event in Delhi. “We are …

There’s both the will and a way to unleash India’s digital potential
1 year, 1 month ago

There’s both the will and a way to unleash India’s digital potential

Live Mint  

At first glance, India looks like a digital star, with inexpensive bandwidth, rising enthusiasm for e-commerce, and a fast-growing cluster of innovative companies. The digital economy, which has grown 2.5 times faster than the overall economy since 2016, could be a powerful force for sustainable and inclusive growth, not only through greater productivity, but as a way of delivering social …

How the Digital India Act will shape the future of the country’s cyber landscape
1 year, 5 months ago

How the Digital India Act will shape the future of the country’s cyber landscape

The Hindu  

October 09, 2023 08:30 am | Updated 08:30 am IST Nations worldwide are grappling with the need to update their legal frameworks to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. The recent announcement of the Digital India Act 2023 represents a significant step towards establishing a future-ready legal framework for the country’s burgeoning digital ecosystem. The primary motivation behind the DIA …

Stressing India’s Unique Telecom Mkt, COAI Calls for Govt to Take Lead in Regulating OTTs for Industry Growth
1 year, 6 months ago

Stressing India’s Unique Telecom Mkt, COAI Calls for Govt to Take Lead in Regulating OTTs for Industry Growth

News 18  

The Cellular Operators Association of India has called upon the government to take the lead in creating regulations for Over-the-Top players rather than adhering to global benchmarks, stressing the uniqueness of India’s telecom market conditions. As per the association, there is a disparity between the telecom service providers and OTT players, particularly Large Traffic Generator OTTs. While TSPs invest in …

From Orientalism to Digital Leadership - News18
1 year, 7 months ago

From Orientalism to Digital Leadership - News18

News 18  

For centuries, Western perception of countries like India has been coloured by orientalist narratives, an idea embedded deep within the philosophical works of thinkers like Edward Said in Orientalism. The world watched in amazement as Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Volker Wissing, used India’s Unified Payments Interface to pay a vegetable vendor, illustrating India’s prowess in digital public …

Panel urges govt to finalize digital competition bill
1 year, 8 months ago

Panel urges govt to finalize digital competition bill

Live Mint  

NEW DELHI : The parliamentary standing committee on finance, led by Jayant Sinha, on Thursday urged the Union government to finalise the digital competition bill at the earliest to check a slew of anti-competitive practices plaguing the digital markets. In December, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recommended formation of Digital Competition Law, and defining Big Tech companies as Systemically Important …

How Much is India’s ‘Digital Economy’ Worth? In a First, Modi Govt to Measure in Next 9 Months
1 year, 8 months ago

How Much is India’s ‘Digital Economy’ Worth? In a First, Modi Govt to Measure in Next 9 Months

News 18  

The Narendra Modi-led central government, for the first time, will measure the size of India’s ‘digital economy’. The government has put prime focus on ‘digitalisation’ but the measurement of the ‘digital economy’ has not been institutionalised in India. According to senior officials, an exercise will be conducted over the next nine months involving “estimation and measurement of India’s digital economy”, …

Technology was a major focus of PM Modi’s U.S. visit, yet why are U.S tech firms sceptical about digital trade with India?
1 year, 9 months ago

Technology was a major focus of PM Modi’s U.S. visit, yet why are U.S tech firms sceptical about digital trade with India?

The Hindu  

The story so far: During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s U.S. state visit, cooperation on technology emerged as a prominent talking point and yielded some of the most substantive outcomes, according to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. However, digital trade is also the area where some of the biggest U.S. tech companies have recently flagged multiple policy hurdles, including “India’s patently protectionist …

India likely to offer digital infra to several countries
1 year, 9 months ago

India likely to offer digital infra to several countries

Live Mint  

India is in talks with a number of developing countries to extend its digital public infrastructure partnerships, according to persons aware of the matter. According to the persons cited above, India is now in talks with several countries in the global South, including in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, to extend these DPI partnerships. Digital public infrastructure has become …

India’s Internet Economy To Reach $1 Trillion By 2030, Contribute Around 12% To Country’s GDP: Report
1 year, 9 months ago

India’s Internet Economy To Reach $1 Trillion By 2030, Contribute Around 12% To Country’s GDP: Report

ABP News  

India's rapidly expanding internet economy is anticipated to reach a staggering valuation of $1 trillion by 2030, a significant surge from the estimated $175 billion in 2022. Success of India's digital public goods: The 'India Stack,' the country's indigenous digital public goods, has played a vital role in accelerating the growth of the internet economy. Impact On GDP And Technology …

Internet economy to become 12–13% of GDP by 2030: Report
1 year, 9 months ago

Internet economy to become 12–13% of GDP by 2030: Report

The Hindu  

India’s internet economy — B2C e-commerce firms, online service providers, ed-tech companies, and so on — will hit $1 trillion in value by 2030, up from $175 billion in 2022, a report by Google, Bain & Company and Temasek estimated. The key thrust would come from “Tier 2+ locations,” the report said, emphasising smaller towns and rural areas, where the …

MeitY mystery: Consultation process for Digital India Bill still opaque
2 years ago

MeitY mystery: Consultation process for Digital India Bill still opaque

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 23, 2023 10:45 IST - 7 MINS READ The Union government’s ambitious vision of Digital India and its goals of “Catalysing New India’s Techade” are well known. The Bill will also touch upon the idea of “discretionary moderation of fake news” by social media platforms as well as “content monetisation rules for platform-generated and user-generated content”. “The …

The world can learn from India’s digital public infra experience
2 years ago

The world can learn from India’s digital public infra experience

Hindustan Times  

Last week, the Digital Economy Working Group of G20 met for the first time under India’s presidency. We draw from a recent study of three state-level digital ecosystems for the delivery of social protection and observe the following learnings for India to take to a global stage: First, well-defined data privacy and security laws are critical to the success of …

Budget 2023-24 Expectation: It is time government focused on the hardware sector
2 years, 2 months ago

Budget 2023-24 Expectation: It is time government focused on the hardware sector

Firstpost  

India’s IT sector has produced a large amount of foreign export revenue for India and has also gained an awe-inspiring reputation across all industries by creating a large number of job opportunities. In the same vein, the Indian IT service sector might have started producing mobile phones within the country but I think the time has come for India to …

It’s unclear if exceptional markets call for special rules
2 years, 2 months ago

It’s unclear if exceptional markets call for special rules

Live Mint  

India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance recently released a report on anti-competitive practices by Big Tech companies. It also favours more regulation of “systemically important digital intermediaries”, a move conceptually similar to the enhanced oversight of ‘gatekeepers’ or large platforms under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. It relies on two central arguments in favour of ex-ante regulation: the exceptional nature …

CCI’s order strikes a blow at the efforts to accelerate digital adoption: Google
2 years, 2 months ago

CCI’s order strikes a blow at the efforts to accelerate digital adoption: Google

The Hindu  

Google India on Friday penned down an emotional blog on the recent CCI’s ruling against it and its impact on the India’s digital adoption and Android market as a whole. “At a time when only half of India’s population is connected, the directions in the CCI’s order strikes a blow at the ecosystem-wide efforts to accelerate digital adoption in the …

Google warns India antitrust ruling will hike costs for app developers
2 years, 2 months ago

Google warns India antitrust ruling will hike costs for app developers

Hindustan Times  

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday that India's new antitrust order to change how the company markets its Android platform will drive up costs for app developers, equipment makers, and consequently, consumers. Google The Competition Commission of India in October fined Google ₹1,337.76 cr for exploiting its dominant position in Android, and asked it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone …

Govt to ensure digital competition law doesn't over-regulate
2 years, 2 months ago

Govt to ensure digital competition law doesn't over-regulate

Live Mint  

The ministry of corporate affairs will consult other ministries on the stringency of emerging regulations on digital economy before it gives a final shape to a proposed Digital Competition Bill so that over-regulation does not stall a fast-growing segment of the economy, a person informed about discussions in the government said. The idea is to assess whether another layer of …

The Public Digital Platforms Opportunity for India at G20
2 years, 2 months ago

The Public Digital Platforms Opportunity for India at G20

News 18  

The 21st century has seen a boom in building transformative technological and digital solutions to cater to different social and economic challenges. The concept of technology becoming a fulcrum for development has showcased the numerous ways in which different platforms and digital infrastructure can be built to ensure public service delivery as well as streamline governance. Leveraging the Network Effects …

Gear up wisely to clamp down on important digital intermediaries
2 years, 3 months ago

Gear up wisely to clamp down on important digital intermediaries

Live Mint  

Hard on the heels of its recommendations on the Competition Bill, 2022, India’s Standing Committee on Finance tabled its report on “anti-competitive practices by big tech companies” in the Lok Sabha on 22 December 2022. To address the unique needs of digital markets, the committee has recommended the introduction of a ‘Digital Competition Act’, which would ensure a fair, transparent …

India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech
2 years, 3 months ago

India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech

The Hindu  

An Indian parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended the government enact a digital competition act to regulate anti-competitive business practices by Big Tech companies on its platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has had strained relations with many large technology companies, and New Delhi has been tightening the regulation of firms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. "The Committee recommend that …

Women, Unemployed, Rural Poor Lagging Due to Digital Divide: Oxfam India Report
2 years, 3 months ago

Women, Unemployed, Rural Poor Lagging Due to Digital Divide: Oxfam India Report

News 18  

The percentage of men owning phones is as high as 61 per cent while only 31 per cent of women-owned phones in 2021, according to a new report, which claimed that India’s growing inequalities based on caste, religion, gender, class, and geographic location are being worryingly replicated in the digital space. Oxfam India’s latest ‘India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide’ …

G20 offers India chance to be the architect of a new digital economy
2 years, 5 months ago

G20 offers India chance to be the architect of a new digital economy

Live Mint  

There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen." And as the rules of a new digital world are written, India’s G20 presidency for 2023 will offer us a platform to showcase our success story of ‘best known practices’ that others can learn from. India is well poised today to lead the creation of a global …

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